


Act of a Stranger

by rowan_one



Category: Gangsta. (Manga)
Genre: M/M, Swearing, can be interpreted either way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-05-17 14:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5874016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowan_one/pseuds/rowan_one
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Prompt: “We catch the same bus home and I always fall asleep, but you always wake me up at my stop.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [exorpriest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/exorpriest/gifts).



> You can also find me on my Tumblr as rowan-one!

Nicolas spent his nightly bus commute the same way he did everything else: silently, and with a blank expression. He didn’t have much to do in order to pass the time, the few other people on the bus so late tuned out the world with music through headphones – not something necessary for him to ignore all the sounds going on around him. On occasion he tossed one of his battered books into his bag and pulled it out to kill the time. He only had a few, and one copy of each at that, so he took care not to leave them behind as he had seen happen to many other books when their owners had been in a hurry.

Recently though his focus had been drifting from any book he had at hand to the man who had begun to share his bus route home every night, he now _lay_  just about splayed across the entire empty row of seats across from him. He got on the stop after Nicolas every night now, and almost immediately knocked out. The weird chest movements might indicate loud snoring, but there was hardly a way for the deaf man to know for sure. 

On top of how he passed out each time he flopped onto the bus seats, he also seemed to remain unable to wake up until exactly one stop after he was supposed to get off.

Nic could tell solely because of how frantic and frustrated he looked to wake up right as the bus moved away, and his expression as he lit up a cigarette and set to walk the extra few blocks.

A cigarette of which he was always treated to a face full of grumpy second hand smoke. _His_ stop was the one the eyepatch wearing asshole always got off on, one stop too late.

Glancing up towards the front window, he noted the point in the route they were at, reached up behind him, and pulled the cord to signal the vehicle to pull up to the next stop. He stood, grabbing the bar above him for balance, and stretched a bit before he closed the short distance to the seat across in a stride.

Eyepatch didn’t stir to a thump on the shoulder or a tug at the long, light hair trailing down his shoulders and back. Smirking, Nic pulled back on the patch a bit, stretching the elastic away, before allowing it to snap back onto the other’s face.

The stinging pain caused the other man’s good eye to shoot open, and since he was looking right at Nic, he took the opportunity to grin widely and sign out a message, although he was sure the other would not understand.

_It’s your stop. Don’t miss it, dumbass._

The one blue eye was fixated on his quickly moving hands for a moment, before the man jerked up and dashed to the door, catching it with his hand as it closed and mouthing out what was likely an apology to the driver.

Just before he stepped out, he turned back towards Nicolas again and made one quick hand motion: left hand flat with right perpendicular over it, before moving the right hand up towards his chin.

_Thank you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if the formatting isn't quite right from the get go, a bit new at posting here! Comments welcome, and apologies for the short length to start off with.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicolas continues to be aggravated and confrontational. Worick's reaction isn't even close to what he expected, but that hardly means shit now does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like what you see? Hit me for a [commission](http://rowan-one.tumblr.com) or support me on [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/rowan_one)! Doing so will allow me to dedicate more time to writing!

Nic did his best to not let the genuine surprise show on his face, not that it particularly mattered considering the blond had already darted off the bus, and it was lurching forward to continue on to the next one. Nic grunted when he felt the bus’ brakes release, reaching out to grab the metal post for support. Huffing, he figured he might as well stay standing for only one more stop, and used his free hand to gather his belongings. Once he was satisfied, he kept his eyes forward, making sure to pay attention to the upcoming stop in order to signal the driver. 

* * *

Once the bus dropped him off at the usual corner, he heaved a big breath in and exhaled it, smirking a bit that his walk home now wouldn’t start with a huge cloud of cigarette smoke in his face. Served the asshole right for being so obnoxious about blowing his smoke and stomping his feet like a child throwing a tantrum, and right when someone was obviously next to him to, as though it would be such a trouble for the blond to walk a few meters  in his own direction before lighting up.

He should be paying attention to where his stop is anyway, he had to be either an idiot or new to the small area. 

Nicolas was personally betting that the case was _both._

* * *

Naturally, Nicolas wasn’t betting on the fact that he would have to play Wake The Asshole EVERY. DAMN. TIME. That he rode the bus home from now on, he wasn’t doing it to be nice or to offer to take care of it for the lazy guy who couldn’t be bothered to do something as simple as get himself home after work every night, he only wanted to have an evening where he could enjoy the fresh air instead of a huffy cloud of smoke that made Eyepatch just seem like a rebellious teen.

 The obvious solution to prevent the blond from expecting anything was to shove him off the seat two stops early tonight, giving him just enough time to sign out that he wasn’t keen on continuously doing favors for other people. He couldn’t hear the yelp of the blond or the hard smack of him hitting the floor, but Nicolas imagined it to be quite satisfying. Books always used such fun words to describe sounds like that for him. THUNK would work wonderfully here—oh the blond was grumbling.

Leaning down into his face, Nicolas put on his most surly look before placing a hand to his throat and humming a bit in order to check if he had enough volume before grating out his words.

“I di’n’t mea’ I was gonna get you up ev’ry time. Learn your stop an’ do i’ yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops maybe I am doing this in small chunks after all. I'm doing what I can guys! Comments are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit escalates a but doesn't quite hit the fan, Worick attempts to be civil and friendly but Nico doesn't give him much to work with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, but rest assured I have yet to abandon this work. Have twice the usual chapter length to make up for it!
> 
> Enjoying my works? Hit me for a [commission](http://rowan-one.tumblr.com) or support me on [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/rowan_one)! Doing so will allow me to dedicate more time to writing!

And wasn’t that the most pathetic pout on the other’s face?

“D’you think that’ll get you somewhERE?” Nic was so far past unimpressed with this asshole staring back up at him, he had to be older than five and yet he was _still pouting_.

“Ah know you can understan’ me, enough.”

The pout quickly morphed into a scowl as the blond man roughly pushed himself up to his feet, grousing under his breath. More than willing to use his height as an advantage, he did his best to lean over the smaller and intimidate him.

Nicolas raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with Eyepatch’s little display. First a pout and now a tantrum, the man looked to be the same age and yet he acted like a toddler. 

Sneering, he easily replied “Ahre you tryin’ t’ start a fight? ‘cause I’ll ‘e quick to fIN’sh it.”

It was easy enough to hide his disappointment that the smaller man wasn’t even the least bit intimidated, throwing his hands up in mock defeat, the blond conceded aloud.

“Not starting anything. You could stand to lighten up though.”

Just as Nic opened his mouth again, taking a step forward, both men stumbled as the bus ground to a halt, throwing Nic onto the other and knocking him hard to the floor of the bus.

He looked up to see the doors of the bus swung open, the driver pointing out and likely saying something given the exasperated look Eyepatch had while he was listening. 

Grunting, he was hauled up by the other as he stood, shouting—based on his animated expression and rude hand gestures—back at the bus driver, before the taller man unceremoniously yanked him out of the bus by the collar. 

Once Nic felt his feet land solidly on the sidewalk after the dismounting step, he was quick to shove the heel of his palm into the other’s shoulder, nearly sending him down to the ground again with the rough shove. 

“Ge’ off.”

Huffing out an aggravated breath, Nic looked around to notice they had passed _both_ of their stops in the midst of their ridiculous stare down, and the realization also hit him that the bus driver must have heard his loud voice threatening to fight, leading to the other asshole “surrendering,” just to make peace. And now they’ve been removed from the bus. Wonderful. He hoped the same bus driver would forget about it soon enough, he didn’t need to be banned from the route for good all because of some asshole he was trying to be fucking nice to.

He turned back towards where the bus came and started off at a brisk pace. They were at least two stops past where he usually got off which meant a two mile trek on top of the half mile he had once the bus dropped him off.

The blond had done what he could to mitigate the bus driver, but the “If you two are going to fight take it outside!” had been pretty firm. And of course now the shrimp just stomped off, not even commenting about how his ass had been saved thanks to him. 

“Hey! Wait up!” He called, hurrying after, breathing heavy as he called out to the unflinching back of the shrimp.

“Come on! You’re not going to say anything after that?”

“The least we could do is chat with one another for the next _hour_ we have to walk in the same direction!” How was this guy even walking so fast?

Putting a little more effort into his pace, he managed to get right behind the guy on one side—seriously he had short legs how was he walking so fast?

“Really now? The cold shoulder? Isn’t that a little childish, or is it just to match your stature?”

The only response he got to that was a grunt, although it was hard to tell whether it was an acknowledgement or just the exertion he was putting into his pace.

Huffing, the taller made sure to raise his voice even more, hoping to get on the other’s nerves. 

“What are you, d--?” Nearly choking on his own words, he sputtered and ground himself to a stop, scuffing his shoes on the pavement.  


Suddenly rushing up next to him and then halting caught the shorter man’s attention, he paused in his stride and turned, one eyebrow raised.

_I’m a complete idiot he **signed** to me earlier and I even signed back! Here I thought I was just being smug because he was flaunting it like any schmuck can’t pick up another language._

Throwing his hands up to his face, he scrubbed them across his eyes and groaned at his own stupidity before finally plastering a grin on his face and opening up his hands. 

“We might as well chat while we walk back together, my name is W-O-R-I-C-K.” He signed.  


The shorter grunted and lazily signed back with one hand, “N-I-C-O-L-A-S.” 

Then abruptly turned and started walking again, forcing Worick to catch up once again. Checking quickly over his shoulder, Worick began to walk backwards so he could hold his hands up to Nicolas and keep the conversation going. Reading up on sign language and memorizing the signs was different than putting them together in a fluid string the same way Nicolas did, but at least he could call it practice. And his habit of reading whatever material he could get his hands on to memorize was finally proving helpful. 

Trying to start up conversation for the next few quiet minutes was near futile, Nicolas either grunted or gave another lazy sign from just one hand, which only made it harder for Worick to interpret. He rolled his eye, it was clear Nicolas was just being difficult, his signs before had been sharp and crisp when done in anger. He refocused just in time to catch the tail end of the next set of signs from the other.

“--Move.”  


“...What?” Questioning the sign aloud in his confusion, Worick got his answer when the back of his shoulder met with the metal post of a street lamp, and he unceremoniously fell backwards onto his ass. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worick and Nicolas are actually signing in Japanese Sign Language as per canon, but I know spelling out W-O-R-I-C-K and N-I-C-O-L-A-S read better in English so I took that liberty rather than have an entirely seperate part explaining JSL and signing names.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies if the formatting isn't quite right from the get go, a bit new at posting here! Comments welcome, and apologies for the short length to start off with.


End file.
